Nearly 2,000 House of Representatives staffers pulled down six-figure salaries in 2009, including 43 staffers who earned the maximum $172,500 — or more than three times the median U.S. household income.

Starting salaries on Capitol Hill are still low — many entry-level congressional jobs pay less than $30,000 a year. And many of the most highly paid staffers could make several times the maximum by jumping to lobbying and consulting jobs in the private sector.

But the salary data, compiled for POLITICO by LegiStorm.com, show that it’s possible to make an enviable living in Congress, even without winning an election.

The 43 staffers who maxed out at $172,500 — the salary cap for leadership and committee staffers — include John Lawrence, chief of staff to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Paula Nowakowski, the late chief of staff to House Minority Leader John Boehner; and House Parliamentarian John Sullivan. They earned only slightly less than rank-and-file members of Congress, who make $174,000.

All the salary data are part of the public record and are culled from congressional office disbursement reports.

Most of the staffers at the top salary level serve on upper-level committee and leadership office staffs as staff directors, policy advisers and legislative counsels — positions that have often had direct input on the formation of major legislation, such as health care. Many of those staffers also have law degrees.

But while these top earners are a small percentage of the overall congressional work force, their numbers are growing at a rapid rate under the Democratic Congress. The number of staffers earning within the upper 3 percent of House salaries — currently $163,358 or more — has increased by nearly 39 percent in the past four years, according to LegiStorm data. In 2005, there were 203 staffers earning in the top 3 percent. That number spiked to 304 people in 2008 but then dropped in 2009 to 282, likely caused in part by the economic downturn.

Pelosi’s leadership office has several high earners, including Arshi Siddiqui, a tax and trade policy adviser who was closely involved in the formation of the Democratic health care legislation.

In a recent health care speech on the House floor, Pelosi praised Siddiqui’s work, saying that she was one of several who had done a “remarkable job — dazzling us with their knowledge and know-how.”

“These are people who could be making a lot more money in the private sector, but they choose to work here,” said Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly, who also makes $172,500. “Often some of the junior-level staffers make $25,000 a year and work very long hours. They’re certainly not being overpaid. Many of these people have a great deal of expertise.”

Between 2009 and 2010, the speaker did not increase top-level salaries for members or top-earning staffers, meaning staffers who already earned the maximum amount did not receive a raise over the past year.

There are approximately 10,000 House staffers, including district office workers, according to the chief administrative officer.

According to LegiStorm’s data, 53 personal office House staffers are making the most money possible in a regular congressional office — $168,411. Among those are Kathy Perdue, the House’s assistant chief administrator for administrative and financial services, , and Jedd Moskowitz, chief of staff to Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.).

Ryan Ellis, tax policy director of Americans for Tax Reform, says that the sheer number of staffers who are earning the maximum amount of pay — or are creeping close — is troubling for taxpayers.

An additional 80 staffers are only a raise away — about $2,000 — from hitting that $168,411 cap. And 117 are a few thousand dollars away from hitting the $172,500 limit.

This trend is very likely setting a salary standard for new employees, Ellis said, making staffers more likely to demand certain pay levels based on the salaries of other workers — all of which are public record.

“When you have a whole bunch of people making very, very high salaries, you’ll have people who are expecting to be paid certain salaries and benefits. That’s not a good thing for taxpayers, because ultimately ... taxpayers are going into debt,” Ellis said.

Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that in many cases, government jobs actually pay better than equivalent private-sector work. Average federal salaries in 2008 were higher than the average private-sector pay in 83 percent of comparable work, the data show.

But several congressional offices with highly paid employees — including the Chief Administrative Office, where CAO Dan Beard makes $172,500 ($90,000 from the House payroll, $82,500 in federal retirement benefits from his previous government service) — say their pay levels reflect talent and experience. For instance, many CAO staffers have been with the office their entire careers.

“Staff are compensated appropriately according to their skill sets, length of career within the CAO ... and in direct relation to the salary grade similar professional credentials could achieve in the executive branch or in the private sector in a major metropolitan area like Washington, D.C.,” said CAO spokesman Jeff Ventura. “Salaries are designed to retain the talent necessary to successfully maintain operations of the House of Representatives.”

Despite the significant income of some staffers, there are many within LegiStorm’s data who barely make enough to pay rent in Washington, one of the most expensive cities in the country.